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Sunday, January 22, 2017

Blog Tour: P.O.W. by Max Vos #Review #Giveaway #Excerpt

Title: P.O.W 2nd edition

Author: Max Vos

Publisher: Max
Vos, Inc

Release Date:
January 20, 2017

Length: 125 Pages

Reviewed by Meredith

Synopsis

After being taken prisoner by a Taliban Warlord, can Sam
Stone hold on long enough to get his best friend back to his family and find
love in the arms of Abbas, the handsome, blue-eyed Arab?
Sam has secretly been in love with is best friend and fellow Marine, Benoit,
for quite some time and would not hesitate to die for him.
The macho Marine, Benoit, is shaken to his very core when he and his best
friend are taken prisoners and made to do things that he would never have done,
especially with Sam, who he knew had feelings for him.
Abbas tries everything to gain his families freedom when an unexpected man
comes into his life that he starts having deep feelings for almost immediately.
Sam Stone has been secretly in love with his best friend and fellow Marine,
Benoit, for a long time. It’s only after they were captured by a Taliban
Warlord that he realizes that he would readily give his life to get Benoit back
to his family. But it is Abbas, the Westernized Arab who steals his heart and
helps Sam and Benoit regain their freedom. Now Sam has to learn to find true
love and help heal not only himself, but the two men he loves deeply.

Warning: This book contains material that may be offensive to some: graphic
language, military
situations, P.O.W scenes, adult situations and other situations only meant for
an adult audience

I have to wonder if this book was as hard to write as it was to read. I don't mean it was a bad book, I mean it was literally a rough read. I stepped away from it quite a few times.

I have never served in the military. My grandfathers and uncles did. My Father in Law did and my brother in law currently is serving. So, information I have was/is based on their stories and my own research and understanding. I like to point this out.

This story takes place in the Middle East. It really starts with a bang when a helicopter carrying a group of marines crashes. It is very easy to tell you that the first two chapters not only take your breath away almost painfully, but it really sets the tone for this story.

The MC's here are Sam and Benoit (Marines that are captured) and Abbas. Abbas works for the Taliban Warlord against his will. He is actually an incredibly sweet man. He sneaks food, toothbrushes, and other things to Sam, and later to Benoit. Those little things, I believe, are what keep them alive.

Now, I'm going to tell you that there are warnings of rape and torture. Heed them! Seriously. It's one thing to step out of your comfort zone it's another to jump right into it. Being there were warning and I was made aware of them I proceeded to read this at my own risk.

Knowing what I know about the Taliban based on research, and stories from my family and such the Taliban's views on homosexuality is one that is well known. It's religious for them. They do not stand for it at any cost. So I was genuinely shocked with the AMOUNT of rape in this by them. I can see them using it as torture making Benoit and Sam do this to each other but for them to partake in it made me realize this is not at all a realistic story and I put myself , now, in that mindset.

There were a lot of "huh?" moments for me in this book. I had to seriously suspend belief. Because this is a P.O.W. story and not a Master/slave story I went into it with a different mindset. One of seriousness. But facts wise it didn't all ass up 100%. So I chose to read this as more of a fantasy. I also felt it was the only way to properly review this book right and fairly.

Like I said, it's a rough read but I give props to the author's creativity. Abbas was an amazing character. I'd say he was my favorite. As dark as this book gets there is happiness in the end.

It is well written with very colorful characters, rough and gritty environment, and horrible situations. I would tell you to read it for the fantasy and not the reality.

Excerpt

“Mayday, Mayday, Black Hammer is hit; I repeat: Mayday,
Black Hammer is hit. We’re going down.” Bucky’s voice may have seemed calm to
an outsider, but those who knew him understood he was anything but calm.
“Mayday, Mayday. Black Hammer’s current location: thirty-three Lat by seventy
Long. Repeat. Mayday, Mayday.” Bucky choked out as the cabin of the helicopter
quickly filled with smoke.

Samuel J. Stone looked at the other five members of his
team. “Fuck,” he mumbled, wondering if perhaps they weren’t going to make it
out of this one. He yelled at his best friend Benoit. “After all the fucked-up
shit we’ve been through, I’m not gonna fucking die splattered on the side of
some mountain in this hellhole.”

“Vasquez, get that damn door open,” Stone yelled across
the cabin to the other Marine.

“Gettin’ it, Stone,” Vasquez answered his lieutenant.

Stone opened the opposite door, letting some of the thick
smoke billow out of the burning helicopter. He and his fellow Marine, Benoit,
looked out the open door. They could tell they were going down fast.

“We’re still too high to jump,” Stone yelled at the others
trapped in the flaming bird.

“If there was anywhere to fucking jump to,”
Benoit yelled back.

Even with both side doors open, the cold winter wind
whipping through the cabin, the acrid black smoke continued to surge in, making
their eyes burn, their chests constrict with the lack of breathable air. There
was a bitter taste in Stone’s mouth from inhaling the foulness of burning
rubber and jet fuel.

Using hand signals to keep from yelling to be heard, Stone
motioned for Vasquez and the two others to use the door they had just opened to
escape through, while he and Benoit and the new kid, Saundersen, would use the
one opposite.

The high-pitched scream of the rotor motor was loud enough
to pierce the ear-protection headphones, making it nearly impossible to speak.
Each man could barely hear Bucky still calling out a Mayday over the radio,
through the headsets.

About the Author

Max Vos is a classically trained chef with over 30 years of
food service experience. After retiring in 2011, Max found himself with time on
his hands and was urged to turn his talents to writing. ‘Cooking English’, a
short story, now part of his anthology collection, Inappropriate Roads, is now available. My Hero was his first novel,
which turned into an international best seller. Max now has a total of six
completed novels, which are listed on his website, along with the entire Memories Series. My Hero: The Olympian,
the sequel to My Hero was released late last year.